


Sum of the Visitor

by Vinnocent



Series: Teen Titans: Morph! [5]
Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate, DCU, Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Abandonment, Ableist Language, Anthropophogy, Blood and Gore, Book 2: The Visitor, Consent Issues, Episode: s01e05 The Sum of His Parts, Ethics, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-22
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-20 10:39:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1507496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vinnocent/pseuds/Vinnocent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cyborg discovers Andalite activity in the junk yard, and the Titans get an hard introduction to the life of a host in the Yeerk Invasion of Earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Again, this fic presumes you know the events of "The Sum of His Parts" which led to Cyborg being held underground while the Titans searched for him. Those scenes were not rewritten in an effort to avoid rehashing.

"Esplin!" Starfire said suddenly, dropping the broken toaster she'd picked up from the pile of junk.

They turned to her. "Did Starfire just cuss?" asked Beast Boy, shifting back from bloodhound mode.

"No! I remembered that I forgot to tell you about Esplin!" she said, turning to them.

"Later!" said Robin from further ahead. "I think I've found something!" He hopped down a hole in the ground as the others came to join him. In the dim light from above, Robin squatted in front of a familiar object. "His battery pack," he told them. "He must have fallen down here."

Beast Boy jumped down to join him as the girls floated down behind him. "Star, can you give us some light?" asked Robin.

Starfire raised a hand and thought about her sister. The green glow barely filled the area, but it was enough to keep them from tripping. They began to venture forward, calling out for Cyborg. Soon, however, they were met, not by Cyborg but by a mass of hulking robots.

"Uh, Star," said Robin. "Tell me this isn't--"

"These are of an unfamiliar design," said Starfire, floating up.

"Woow," said Beast Boy. "Eheh, have any of you guys seen a dude about this tall," Beast Boy was unable to gesture the proper height. "with one red eye and titanium body armor?" he asked, shifting into a poor imitation of Cyborg.

The robots said nothing, but continued to encroach closer. Robin shifted into a battle stance. "Teen Titans: Go!"

Starfire began throwing the only light they had, green flickering all around them in brief spurts. Robin punched and kicked his way through the line of robots. Beast Boy ripped through them with gorilla arms. Raven sliced through them with precisely targeted dark energy.

Suddenly, the robots collapsed.

The Titans froze, unsure.

Finally, Robin said what they all were thinking. "Huh?"

They exchanged glances, shrugged, then pushed past the collapsed robots to find their friend. At the end of the tunnel was a large room filled with machinery, and, as soon as they entered, they saw Cyborg pull himself wearily off a table and cast aside some kind of mask. He collapsed on the floor.

"Cyborg!" Robin said, running to him, and Cyborg looked over his shoulder at him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Cyborg stood up.

Fixit was hunched in the corner. "So… beautiful. I had forgotten… how beautiful. The world… through your eyes…"

"Through living eyes," Cyborg corrected, approaching him warily. "The same kind you have."

Fixit considered their robotic hands. "Perhaps… I am the one in need of repairs."

Cyborg considered this, then extended the hand. "And maybe I'm the guy who can help repair you. I… know people. People who are good at this sort of thing."

Fixit considered the extended hand, then took it. Cyborg helped them to their feet. "I'm gonna get Fixit to some friends of mine," he told the others. "I'll meet you back at the Tower."

Beast Boy watched him go. "Are we really gonna--?"

"If he wanted our company, he'd have invited it," said Robin. "At least, we now know he's okay."

\-- --

"Hey," said Cyborg, suddenly appearing on the TV screen. "Come meet me in the Command Room."

Beast Boy poutingly threw down his game controller and followed the others up to the Command Room. Cyborg was sitting in front of a computer array. "So," he said. "What happened today was that Fixit found me and recharged my battery but then decided I was still 'damaged' because I have human parts," he explained. "When they downloaded my memories to transfer, they realized that humanity, biological life, was not a flaw."

"You had us come up here to tell us that?" asked Raven.

"No, I had you come up here to show you what came back through the channel. During the confusion, some of Fixit's most recent memories came through to _me_." Cyborg gestured to a screen, which activated and started playing a clip. Hidden beneath a car, Fixit watched as a man stood alone in the dark, a cat carrier resting on the ground next to him.

Cyborg zoomed in and they gasped to see the black and white cat that had slashed at Jinx. When he zoomed out, three craft were descending upon the man. Starfire pointed. "These two are Bug fighters! I think this is the Blade ship? It is the same one we saw in the construction site; I am certain!"

The Bug fighters parked between piles of mess. The Titans all shuddered when the Blade ship opted to simply disintegrate all the junk that existed where it wanted to park.

And then it opened. Starfire's eyes darkened. "So it _was_ Esplin at the site," she whispered.

Robin jabbed a finger at the screen. "Is that an Andalite?" he demanded.

"Andalite-Controller," said Starfire. "War Prince Alloran-Semitur-Corrass. Last we heard, his Yeerk was Esplin 9466. He is the only Andalite-Controller we know of."

"This is what you remembered in the junkyard?" asked Raven.

"Yes. I had realized that the large creature may have been a morph," said Phyzzon. "This solidifies the evidence."

They watched as two Hork-Bajir and four Taxxons climbed out, positioned to defend Esplin.

"Is that the Andalite bandit?"

Phyzzon giggled while Robin squinted at the screen. "Which one said that?" asked Robin.

"Esplin," Phyzzon answered. "I guess, as a leader, he mostly broadcasts thought-speak. Andalite thought-speak can be heard by all present or privately by select persons within a certain distance. Apparently, Fixit heard it and recorded it in the pattern they understood it. On playback, it sounds like normal speech, in English."

"Yes, Visser," answered the man on the screen who had brought the cat carrier.

"So, he's not Esplin then?" asked Raven.

Starfire shook her head. "No, a Visser is like a sort of leader, I think? It is like a title. He is below the Council of Thirteen and above the Subvissers. There are also numbers, usually?"

Esplin approached the cage and peered inside. The cat backed away, out of Fixit's view. "Not so brave now, my Andalite friend?" Esplin teased.

"Well, he's certainly melodramatic enough to be a villain," said Raven, and Phyzzon giggled again.

Esplin picked up the cage and brought it to his face to inspect the "Andalite bandit" more closely. A pink nose pressed through the bars and sniffed at him. This time, it was Beast Boy who giggled.

"This is similar to the orange-and-black creature that invaded the pool," Esplin observed, Phyzzon buried Starfire's face in her hands. Their shoulders were shaking.

"Is this guy for real?" Robin demanded, turning to Starfire, but she just kept her face in her hands.

"Yes, Visser," the man deadpanned. "They are a family of animals. Felines. These are the smallest."

"I see you damaged my servant Iniss 226, Andalite," Esplin told the cat. "No one ever accused you Andalites of lacking courage. You are a race of fools, but brave."

Nothing.

"Why not answer me, Andalite? I know you hear my words. This charade is pointless. I know what you are."

Nothing.

"Is that a real cat?" asked Beast Boy, squinting at the screen.

"But we saw the same cat in the Tower," said Raven.

"It could be the genetic source," said Phyzzon, tilting Starfire's head as they watched the screen curiously. "Andalites must touch an animal to gain its DNA to morph it."

Beast Boy snorted. "These Andalites don't sound very advanced to me," he said, puffing out his chest.

Esplin, apparently tired of taunting without response, put the carrier down. "Now. Where is the girl? I have promised her to Iniss 445. Iniss 445 is a spawn-mate of yours, I believe. We will do the infestation aboard the mothership, and I will have the girl returned tomorrow. Where is she?"

Starfire stiffened. "The mothership is here?"

Iniss 226 had stiffened also. "Visser… I…"

Esplin grabbed the man by the neck. Alloran's tail arched slowly forward until the point of the tail blade rested just between the man's eyes. "Do you defy me?" he hissed menacingly.

Robin grew concerned. "Cyborg, what are we watching?"

"Just keep watching," said Cyborg, who had been sullenly silent to that point. "This is important."

"N-n-n-o, no, Visser," Iniss stuttered. "I would never defy you. It's only… the host. Chapman. He and the woman rebelled."

Starfire stepped closer to the screen, leaning on a control panel.

"Aren't you able to control your host?" Esplin demanded. "Do you think the Andalite mind that still lives in this body never resists? Do you imagine that your human host is more powerful than my own Andalite host?"

Starfire looked sick and held her stomach.

"Visser, I… I only report the facts to you. M-m-my host is under control. But I am constantly in contact with humans. I occupy a responsible position in their society. I cannot have my host body causing me to twitch and shake. Humans see such things as signs of mental illness. I could lose my position. And I would no longer be of any use to you."

"You are barely of use to me now," Esplin sneered.

"Visser, my host begs leave to address you directly."

A small gasp escaped Starfire. Barely noticeable, but Cyborg heard. He looked at her, and she seemed to be… hoping. Hoping for something.

Esplin hesitated, stalk eyes scanning around in the dark. The cat looked out of the carrier again. "I will allow the host to address me," Esplin said at last.

Chapman collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Just straight down.

"DID HE DIE?!" Beast Boy demanded, horrified.

"No," said Starfire. They were frowning. "Control was given back. I do not think that the Chapman has had it for a very long time."

Raven's eyes widened. "He doesn't know how to control his own body?"

"Fisher," Chapman mumbled pathetically. "Fisher Hree. Sor… I… sorry. Visher. Visser. Visser Three."

Starfire turned away, briefly, but could not keep her eyes off the screen. "Star," Robin said gently. "How high-ranking is a Visser Three?"

"Three positions below the Council of Thirteen," Phyzzon muttered. "And they gave him a Blade Ship. And the mothership seems to be in orbit."

"Then… This planet… Earth is a priority for them?"

"So it would seem."

"Well, that's good!" exclaimed Beast Boy. "It means the Andalites will come sooner to clean up their own mess."

Phyzzon glanced back at Beast Boy, then returned Starfire's eyes to the screen. Neither said anything in reply.

"Visser Three," Chapman said again. His voice was slurry and strange.

"Speak, you fool!" Visser Three snapped. "Do you think I can stay here forever?"

"Visser Three. You… We had a deal. You know I never wanted to join you. My wife did. But I said no. But… but then my wife… no longer my wife by then, of course." He started crying. "My wife who was no longer my wife… my wife who was one of your creatures… threatened… threatened to give you my daughter." He managed to raise one clumsy hand to his eyes. "I forgive her. She was weak. And you feed on weakness."

"Yes, yes, get to the point," said Esplin.

Finally, Starfire turned away, slumping, arms clutching her stomach. "Star?" Robin asked, putting a hand on her shoulder, but she just shook her head.

"The point is," Chapman said, "that I agreed to be made into a host. I agreed to… to…" He looked as sick as Starfire. "I agreed to surrender my freedom. To become a Controller. To accept this filthy thing in my head. To accept your control. I agreed… but only if you would spare my daughter."

Raven was now watching with wide eyes. Beast Boy stepped closer. Robin stepped back, away from Starfire.

**To Be Continued . . .**


	2. Chapter 2

"The situation has changed," Visser Three said. "The Chapman person is an important part of our work. We cannot have him endangered by some uncontrollable human."

"The girl -- Melissa -- is no threat. But…" Chapman struggled to lift himself up. He got himself to his knees. Then, slowly, he was able to stand up, wobbling and swaying. "The girl is no threat," he repeated in a stronger, more confident voice. "But I am."

"You? A threat?" Visser Three laughed. He reached out with one hand to push lightly on Chapman's chest. Chapman fell back, sprawled out on the dirt. His head was just inches from the door of the carrier. Tears were streaming down the side of his face.

Robin swore, his fingers pressing into his palms. Raven pulled her hood down, studying the screen carefully.

"If you harm my daughter, I will fight you. I will fight you forever. Ask your Yeerk if he believes me. He knows me better than anyone. Ask Iniss 226 if I will fight for my daughter." Chapman closed his eyes. The tears stopped. Then his eyes opened again. He picked himself up quickly from the ground and stood before Visser Three. The Yeerk slug was in charge again. He was once again a Controller.

"The host will attempt to disrupt your work?" Esplin demanded.

"Yes, Visser. And the woman as well. She is not as strong as this one, but she was able to gain control of one hand. Perhaps she has deeper strengths than we knew." Iniss hesitated, fear showing in Chapman's face. "I am of more use with a passive, voluntary host. But I am your tool, Visser. I will do as you command."

"Clorbag Varblerneilk herunt gahal," Starfire snapped at the screen, spinning back toward it angrily.

Beast Boy glanced at Starfire, then at Robin. "Okay, she definitely cussed that time. You said we couldn't do that."

"Leave it alone," Robin warned, and Raven reached out and turned Beast Boy's head back toward the screen.

"Yes, you will certainly do as I command," Esplin agreed. "But you have brought me the Andalite bandit." He nodded down at the cat carrier. "And this will occupy my time for a little while. Leave the girl, for now. Now get out. You test my patience."

Iniss immediately fled, and they heard a car screech away in the distance.

"Move out," Esplin ordered, and a Hork-Bajir Controller picked up the cat carrier. As they neared the Blade ship, the cat suddenly tumbled around in its carrier. "Mrrraaaoww!"

Esplin smirked with Andalite eyes.

Brrrrrmm…

Esplin turned as an earthmover parked nearby rumbled to life. The Hork-Bajir Controller with the carrier tossed it further inside the Blade ship and ran to the Visser's side in the doorway. "Get us into the air!" Esplin shouted.

"Wow, he really does broadcast," said Beast Boy, rubbing his ears.

"Sssree shway snerp snerrrrup ssreet," said a Taxxon-Controller, sliding into view from inside the ship.

"You might want to turn away," Cyborg quickly warned.

"Two minutes to liftoff? Too long!" Esplin screamed, and Starfire hid her face behind a hand again, but this time she was much less amused. His tail whipped forward, and the Taxxon was split open.

Raven put her hood back up.

"You and you," Visser Three pointed at two of the Taxxons. "Get us off the ground! The rest of you may feed on this fool."

Phyzzon snarled, Starfire's hand sliding away. "That's not going to change how your ship operates, you felling--"

"Watch it," Robin warned.

The wounded Taxxon screamed as three others rushed forward to consume it. Beast Boy ran over to a bin in the corner and vomited profusely. The diesel engine sound grew closer. Esplin began screaming orders, and Hork-Bajir Controllers began running back outside.

The earth mover loomed closer. Fixit zoomed in, changed the camera mode, and revealed a small Latino boy hunched down so he couldn't be seen driving. He was wearing a domino mask and a skin-tight black outfit.

The Taxxon continued screaming.

Just as the earth mover came into the light, the boy rolled out, running quickly out of view. Likely, he hadn't even been seen. But Fixit had spotted the sudden growth of muscles and spread of black fur.

A red light flashed brilliantly, lighting up the whole screen. Fixit switched cameras again, and the earthmover was gone.

"Yeerss srenn ssseere!"

Esplin turned to see stubby, half-human fingers unlatching the cat carrier. "Well, that answers that," said Raven.

Beast Boy was leaning forward past her again. "Come on! Come on!" he begged the figures on screen as though they could hear him in the past.

The cage opened. The tail flinched.

"Rrrrraaawwwrrr!" a tiger leapt suddenly into view, striking Alloran right in the side. A mess of cat and human flesh rocketed out of the cage and beat it out of the Blade ship.

"This time, you're mine, you jerk!" a new voice said as Esplin screamed in pain. The tail flashed and missed again. The tiger slashed again, roaring furiously.

Hork-Bajir Controllers ran forward to defend their boss, and the tiger smoothly dodged away, fleeing the scene. A tiger and house cat fled together, the tiger covering the enemies still running after them.

A second vehicle roared out. An eight-wheeler rumbled into view. It wouldn't have been able to move far if the Blade ship hadn't cleared so much space. As it was, it was heading directly toward the Blade ship.

The cat ducked into a hole that should have been out of view. But Esplin had morphed. "You won't get away so easily!" he taunted, ripping the pile apart with two massive arms. Like, the sort of arms that would be attached to a 20-foot tall creature as wide as a mature redwood. Because they were.

It tossed aside the upheaved pile, crushing a Hork-Bajir Controller. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Phyzzon demanded, and Starfire floated up, eyes and hand glowing green.

"WHOA!" Robin grabbed her and pulled her down. "We need to work on this 'blowing things up' impulse."

The cat ran, leaping this way and that as Esplin's giant fists slammed down around it. One rock-like hand slammed down around the cat, and it looked like the kid was doomed.

CRRRUNCH!

Esplin hesitated. Then, he turned as best he could with that ridiculous morph to see the cause of the noise.

BOOOOM!

The cat used the distraction to leap out over the hand. Esplin screamed in fury and the speakers shook. The cat took off across the piles of junk as Esplin shouted murder at them. A huge hand swiped toward the cat. The cat was far above the ground on a massive heap. It leapt anyway.

A red-tailed hawk caught it in the air and flapped desperately as it made off out of sight. Esplin continued rampaging. As soon as their attention had moved on, Fixit crept away. Cyborg turned off the video.

"They are getting caught already," said Raven. "If they are infested, they will divulge what they have learned from us."

Robin nodded. "We need to find them. Cyborg, can you--"

"That wasn't the point!" Cyborg interrupted. The video rewound to Chapman's face. "What are we going to do about this?"

"He is… willing," Phyzzon said, spitting out the word. "In a way. If we take him, then they will hurt his daughter."

"It's his _daughter_ I'm talking about!" Cyborg shouted. "She's being held hostage, and she doesn't even know."

"She's safe with them for now," said Robin.

"For now?" Cyborg raged. "She's living under the roof of brain controlled aliens! Her parents signed her up for that!"

"What could they have done?" asked Starfire.

"Run!" Cyborg insisted. "Tell someone!"

"Someone like the police?" asked Raven. "Or the first hero they found?"

"Maybe we _could_ take her," said Beast Boy.

"And then what?" Phyzzon demanded, floating up. He jabbed an angry glowing finger at the Andalite on the frozen screen. "He _kills_ his own people. For small missteps! For being in the way! Did you _hear_ how cowed he has his subordinate?!"

Robin raised an eyebrow, but Beast Boy interrupted, "Then we can rescue all of them!"

"Just them?" asked Raven. "Because they made us feel bad?"

"We can rescue them all!"

"There is likely _thousands_ in the city already," said Starfire.

"You said they were recruiting volunteers!" said Cyborg.

"That's not--"

"How many people would even sign up for that sort of thing?" he demanded. "You'd have to be insane!"

Starfire went rigid. She glared at him. "I do not think you know the vast and various multitudes as well as you think you do," Phyzzon deadpanned.

"Even if we could take them all, and fit them _somewhere_ ," said Robin. "It would be _noticed_. They'd be forced to put aside subterfuge and opt for open war."

"With a Blade ship, a mothership, and possibly even the Watchtower at their disposal, you could lose whole cities," Phyzzon agreed.

" _We_ could lose whole cities?" Cyborg repeated, snarling some unspoken accusation.

Starfire's eyes widened. Then, she looked away. "What I meant was--"

"I don't care what you meant!" he snapped. "If you can't consider yourself part of this, then why are you even fighting?!"

"Cyborg, that's enough!" Robin objected, but Starfire had already flown off. Robin sighed. "Look, she's right. We can't afford to be so forward right now. I--"

"So, we're just going to stop being heroes for families in threat, then?" Cyborg demand.

Robin scowled. "I didn't say that! If I can continue? I think we should put bots in the house. We'll know the second there's any threat to Melissa. We will rescue _select_ hosts in _dire_ circumstances. If things just suck for them, then, I'm sorry, but we can't afford to intervene. Does everyone agree?"

Raven nodded. Beast Boy was looking at the floor, but he managed a vague head gesture that seemed to indicate agreement. Cyborg wouldn't look at him, but he, too, nodded.

"Great. Now, I think everyone could use a breather to _calm down_. We're all worked up and angry and _lashing out_ ," Robin snapped. "Do what you have to, and when you've finished?" He looked specifically at Cyborg, making a point. "Apologize for insulting each other."

He stormed out.

\-- --

Cyborg walked down the hall to his room, passing by Starfire's door. Unfortunately, her door was ajar, and he could hear a snuffling sort of crying inside. He groaned and rubbed his face and finally turned around and walked back toward the door to apologize.

"Please do not be sad," said Starfire.

What? She wasn't the one crying? Was someone else already down here?

"No, I am sorry," her own voice argued. "I am so, so sorry. I am sorry they are like this."

Hey! It was no fair apologizing _for_ him! He raised his hand to knock on the door.

"The Yeerks."

Cyborg's fist hung frozen in the air.

"I should have told you. I should have warned you. I-- I thought we were running _away_. I thought you'd never see. I am… I am ashamed."

Horrified and confused, Cyborg slowly backed away, crept down the hall, and returned to his room.


End file.
